


A Story Not Yet Told

by neverendingdream



Series: It only takes a spark [1]
Category: Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Genre: F/M, astrid is a goddess, charlie is very much in love, i am unreasonably happy that the tag is astrid/charlie, i guess, i have so many feelings about them omg, spoilers for the book, the books are worth it if only for these cuties, this is a mix of movie and bookverse, tho this fits in with movie canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-07-01 08:21:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15770244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverendingdream/pseuds/neverendingdream
Summary: 'Astrid wasn’t some thing to be won, or a possession to be handed over, father to husband. She was more than simply a stunningly fashionable, extremely attractive woman. (Though not that she wasn’t. He’d be first to admit that much.) No, Astrid was a goddess, in every sense and more. She was a force of nature. One didn’t choose her. She chose you, and, well, Charlie still wasn’t quite sure what had made her choose him for so long.'Or:An abundance of Charlie Wu because he was barely in the movie.





	A Story Not Yet Told

**Author's Note:**

> for everyone who hasn't read the books Charlie Wu is a romantic mess head over heels in love with Astrid (and tbh same). They dated for a long time when they were younger, and though they broke up ten years before the main action in CRA Charlie is still not-so-subtly in love with her ~~bc he’s a massive dork~~
> 
> exhibit a of Charlie being a romantic mess:  
>  _“Will you promise you’ll never stop sending me love letters?”_  
>  _“I promise I will never stop sending you letters of love, Astrid. Until my dying day.”_

 

The wedding invitation sat on Charlie’s desk, untouched. He didn’t need to open it to know what it probably read:

_‘Colin Khoo and Araminta Lee invite you to their wedding…’_ and so on. The usual. Colin and Araminta likely had no part in inviting him personally. They probably hadn't ever actually seen the invitation, besides maybe Araminta commenting on its design (even from the envelope, he could tell it was ostentatious-- just like the wedding would be).

_‘Might as well say what it really means,’_ he thought. _‘Peter and Annabel Lee are desperate to have you at their daughter’s wedding because you’re rich and famous in Asia.’_

Not that it would make a difference in the number of attendees. After all, the invitations were perfunctory. He, Charlie Wu, son of tech billionaire Wu Hao Lian, dubbed (quite unfortunately, in his opinion) the Asian Steve Jobs, was all but required to attend the wedding.

_‘Noblesse oblige._ _Or something like that,’_ he thought, but he was lying to himself, his traitorous eyes lingering on the name ‘Colin Khoo’ finely printed on the back of the envelope. Colin Khoo meant an already extravagant wedding was transformed into the event of the century, but more importantly than that, Colin Khoo getting married at the event of the century meant _all_ of the Shangs, Youngs, T’siens and their extended family would be there.

 

Most importantly, it meant _she_ would be there.

 

* * *

 

The first time Charlie had ever laid eyes on Astrid Leong, they’d both been fifteen, and he, with his _new money_ billionaire father, he’d had a bit of a big head. Well, in hindsight, more than a bit. He’d thrown around money in a way that probably had shamed his working-class ancestors, all in a futile attempt to win over the heart of the most unattainable girl in all of Asia. Eager to prove his family’s newfound worth, he’d been _kiah su*_ , afraid to lose to all the other rich young boys, especially those in that elite upper echelon of Singapore he could’ve never become a part of, the ones raised with her, the ones who ruled ACS and thought they didn’t even need to chase her; Astrid Leong would be handed to them by merit of their family’s old name.

In the end, they’d all been wrong, himself included. Astrid wasn’t some _thing_ to be won, or a possession to be handed over, father to husband. She was more than simply a stunningly fashionable, extremely attractive woman. (Though not that she wasn’t. He’d be first to admit that much.) No, Astrid was a goddess, in every sense and more. _She was a force of nature_. One didn’t choose her. She chose you, and, well, Charlie still wasn’t quite sure what had made her choose him for so long.

Maybe somehow, even back as a stumbling fifteen-year-old, he’d had _some_ sense of romanticism other than just flashing money to get his way. Or perhaps she’d simply seen some hidden potential in his younger self. Or maybe it had been the roses (three hundred of them!) he’d surprised her with when they’d been eighteen.

He’d like to think it had been the roses. That had, after all, been one of his more successful spectacles of romance. Meaning that, unlike so much else, worked. He doesn’t even want to think about the time he might or might not have bought out an entire street of designer shops for her only to realize she didn’t care about labels in the same way that the Mainlander girls he’d known did. Or the time where she’d accepted his proposal, only to dump him on Orchard Road nine days before their wedding.

 

(In hindsight, that had been all his fault, too.)

 

* * *

 

The next morning, there was another invitation sitting on his desk.

_‘To Isabel Wu,’_ the back of the envelope read. Charlie sighed.

He picked up the invitation, hefted it in his hand for a moment, then placed it back down on his desk. _‘They’ve sent it to the wrong address,’_ he thought. No one would be able to find his wife living in the same apartment as him. Not for the past two years.

“She’s not going,” he told the empty air, resenting the bitterness in his voice.

 

* * *

 

Charlie had proposed to Astrid, and she’d accepted, both of them heedless of the utter shock, horror and dismay the engagement had caused her family. She’d accepted, and he’d thought, perhaps selfishly, that _that_ had been all that mattered, that his love and (gratuitous) money would have been enough to carry them over all the gossip, all the pressure from her family, all the stress.

It hadn’t been.

And worse, he hadn’t understood. He’d still had such a big head at the age of twenty-two that he’d thought throwing the most ostentatious, lavish wedding in all of Asia’s modern era would win her family over. He’d insisted, over and over again, that it would all work out, even when Astrid had been asking him to postpone the wedding, to give her room to breathe and clear the air with her family. (In hindsight, perhaps he and Astrid and Nick Young and Rachel Chu have more in common than at first glance.)

It had all culminated in that fateful day, nine days before the wedding. He’d talked and talked over Astrid, never once bothering to listen, because while she was suffering from all the pressure to reconsider her engagement, he’d been coasting on cloud nine.

He’d deserved every inch of the tongue-lashing he’d received, and the Frosty to the face, too.

 

* * *

 

While the rest of those lucky enough to be invited to _the_ wedding of the century scrambled to prepare for it all, Charlie picked out one of his good suits-- couture enough, chic enough, but not too flashy. He didn’t want to be noticed. In fact, he still wasn’t quite sure why he was attending. Seeing Astrid, of course, was the main reason, but deep down, he was still that selfish fifteen-year-old boy. He didn’t _really_ want to see her with Michael Teo, that military commando she’d married. Or, more accurately, he just didn’t want to see Michael Teo.

He didn’t want to call it jealousy. If that Michael Teo made her happy, then he was content to see her happy. He _hoped_ that Michael made her happy. Of the two of them, her and himself, after their break, she was the one who deserved happiness. She always had been. That _kiah su_ boy in him wanted more than anything to find fault in Michael before even meeting him, wanted for her to remember him as much as he did her, but he would stifle it all if she was happy.

That was what had been missing all those years ago. He’d put his happiness first, above everything else, and in doing so, he’d failed to realize that she hadn’t been happy.

 

_If he could do it all over again, he would do it in a heartbeat._

 

* * *

 

The wedding came faster than anyone expected, the days blowing by, each faster than the next as if in anticipation of the spectacle that was to come. Before Charlie could catch his breath, knock some sense into his lovelorn brain, and think of a convenient business-related excuse to not attend (no one would particularly miss him either way, he thought), he was kissing the older of his two daughters goodbye, the younger already fast asleep in bed.

“Chloe, you be good to your _sai mui**_ , alright? Ah Chee will take care of you two until I get back. And,” he hesitated a little, bouncing his daughter in his arms, “and, if you need something really important, just call Mommy, alright?”

_‘She should pick up if it’s her children,’_ he thought, before turning his attention back onto Chloe, who nodded rapidly, staring up at him with adoring eyes.

_‘What am I doing, getting all caught up in the past?’_ He wondered. _‘I have a family. So does Astrid.’_

“Hurry up and go,” Ah Chee scolded fondly, bringing him out of his thoughts. She scooped Chloe out of his arms, waggling a teasing finger in the girl’s face.

“Your daddy didn’t notice it’s long past your bedtime, but don’t think that old Auntie here didn’t! Come on, we wouldn’t want to hold him up too long, hm?”

The girl squealed in protest, but didn’t resist as the old nanny winked at Charlie and carried her off to her shared bedroom with her sister, a singsong _“bye-bye!”_ ringing down the hallway.

He stared for a moment after them, wondering once again whether his attending the wedding was a good idea, before shaking himself. He’d already decided he would go. It was too late to go back on that decision now.

 

* * *

 

The wedding was even more ostentatious than he’d imagined, the whole of CHIJMES*** converted into a tropical paradise, full of exotic plants and sweeping floral arrangements. It was ostentatious, in fact, to the point that it was almost downright nostalgic, except for the fact that Charlie, even now, still had a _little_ pride in his and Astrid’s relationship, and he was fairly certain they never spent money _quite_ so crazily.

Still, he had to hide a chuckle at the sounds of horror some of the older women were making at the sight of their beloved church converted into, well, basically a glorified rice paddy.

_‘They should be glad they’ve never seen any of those crazy Mainlander weddings,’_ he thought.

 

* * *

 

Someone called his name or a name that _sounded_ like his, and Charlie took the opportunity to disengage himself from the conversation he was having with something-or-another Luo, who’d been prattling on about some app his company had designed. Before that Luo could realize the heir of Wu Hao Lian had vanished, Charlie began to maneuver himself into another pew. At that moment, a sudden hush fell over the crowd, and he froze as his eyes landed on Shang Su Yi herself, on the arm of none other than Astrid, resplendent in a blue halter dress. Su Yi and her granddaughter parted the crowd like it was the Red Sea, followed closely by several bodyguards.

A dark note of relief thrummed through him as he scanned their entourage and found Michael Teo to be nowhere in sight, though it was quickly replaced by worry as he glanced at Astrid again. She was forcing her smile, and the hand gripping her Ah Ma’s was tensed. She was upset and he-- he wanted to do something, _anything_ , if only to see her smile, her _real smile_. He’d half-risen from his inconspicuous seat before he caught himself, casually lowering himself back down onto the pew even as every instinct of his heart fought back.

_‘Be rational,’_ he told himself. It was probably nothing. Or at the very least-- nothing that he, unceremoniously dumped a decade ago, should concern himself with. For someone like him, it was enough that he could even see her like this. If the Leongs had hated him enough, they could have probably had “International China Trash” like him removed from an event like this, regardless of how rich his family was.

Even so, he couldn’t help but let worries and _‘what-ifs’_ race through his brain.

Had Astrid and that Michael argued? Was that why he wasn’t in attendance?

What if Astrid had dumped Michael Teo just like she’d dumped him? ( _That_ , he would admit, would have been a sight to see.)

_What had that Michael done to make her upset?_

But no, his place wasn’t to worry about things in Astrid’s personal life he’d never be privy to. In the end, he was always better off admiring her, just like this. A force of nature that swept the room off of its feet, himself included.

 

* * *

 

He’s seen enough, fantasized enough. He makes it through half of the wedding party, staying on the fringes of it all, before deciding to slip away. But before he can leave, chaos reaches him: A woman in dazzling periwinkle pushes past him, Edison Cheng’s taunts ringing in both their ears, harsh and mocking ( _“What’s wrong, Cinderella?”_ ). Seconds later, Nick Young races past, desperate, heartbroken ( _“Rachel! Please! Come back! Rachel!”_ ).

Charlie leaves in the ensuing wreckage (too early to see Alistair Cheng’s heart broken as well). The desperation in Nick Young’s voice is too familiar an emotion for him to bear.

Later, he will learn the full story from Nick himself, Astrid by his side, smiling at the happy couple. But now, he can only imagine another tragedy unfolding, another love brought to an end by the unforgiving Shangs.

 

* * *

 

Miracles do happen, even if perhaps they’re less miracles and more backbone on Rachel Chu’s part and her ability to win over Eleanor Young. Either way, it’s a miracle to the rest of Asia when they learn that _the_ Nick Young is marrying Rachel Chu, not a Taipei Plastics Chu, but just a plain old Chu, an economics professor at NYU. It’s practically a fairy tale, and,  _hell_ , they deserve it, the both of them, him for never giving up on her, her for knowing what the limits of love are, and how much she's willing to sacrifice.

To be frank, _this_ is something Charlie is willing to admit he’s jealous of, even though he knows: the way he and Astrid were back then, or at least, the way _he_ was, they wouldn’t have ever been able to come close to pulling off such a miracle.

He smiles ruefully as Nick pulls Rachel down into a long kiss, clapping along with the rest of the attendees of their engagement party.

 

But his and Astrid's story is far from over. (And for the record, so is Nick's and Rachel's.)

 

* * *

 

Just as Charlie is about to excuse himself, he’s stopped by Nick himself, an arm casually thrown around Rachel’s shoulders. They look happy, and completely, utterly, in love. It’s hard to believe that the couple in front of him is the very same from the wedding.

He offers his congratulations somewhat awkwardly, after all, he doesn’t know either of them well, despite Nick being Astrid’s cousin. Rachel thanks him, color high on her cheeks, but Nick just smiles, a little too knowingly, before they both vanish back into the crowd.

 

* * *

 

He finds her in the crowd almost too easily. Tonight she’s smiling, happy, and practically _radiates_ with it all, and for a long heartbeat, his breath is taken away: it’s as if he’s seeing her for the first time again.

He tries not to stare too much, but his gaze lingers. And lingers. And maybe she can sense him, because she turns, and--

 

His world stops.

 

* * *

 

Their eyes meet, and though he can feel heat creeping up his cheeks-- she’s caught him staring-- he forces the instinctual embarrassment down, because it’s _Astrid_ , looking freer and more alive than she had at the wedding, a sparkle in her eyes and a half-smile tugging at her lips, and she’s looking at him, _really_ looking.

He has a quip prepared, or at least, he thought he did, something about how the last time they were face to face like this, she’d officially ended their relationship by throwing a Frosty in his face, but it vanishes from the tip of his tongue, from his mind altogether as he takes her in. She’s aged well, in his opinion better than himself, but that beginning of a smile, it’s the same, it’s the spirit she was missing at the wedding, and its reappearance gives him the courage to speak first.

“Long time no see.”

 

_It’s as nonchalant as possible._

**Author's Note:**

>  ~~CHARLIE YOU DORK YOU'RE NOT NONCHALANT AT ALLLLLLL~~  
>  this was unbelievably fun and easy to write not only bc i love them sm but also bc I've been on such a high after watching CRA ~~i legit felt like i was channeling kevin kwan's spirit or smth even tho he's V MUCH ALIVE~~  
>  Actual Notes:  
> *- It's explained right after the comma, but in case you didn't catch it, _kiah su_ means afraid to lose or very competitive. ~~my mom uses this a lot ;;;;~~  
>  **- Although my mom is Singaporean and my dad Taiwanese, I don't speak Cantonese (aside from Singlish-isms my mom uses), so this is supposed to be _little sister_ , but if anyone knows Cantonese, please correct me if I'm wrong! ~~I was just gonna use Mandarin but Charlie lives in HK so I ended up just Googling it hopefully it's right otl~~  
>  **- CHIJMES, pronounced 'chimes' is this historical catholic middle school in Singapore, complete with nuns and a pretty old church. My mom went here for a couple years. Also, my inner Singaporean is coming out because in the book, I don't think the wedding was at CHIJMES, but that's where it was filmed in the movie so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ it's just gonna be at CHIJMES in this too~ ~~anyways CHIJMES is beautiful so it doesn't matter lolol~~


End file.
